Windsong's Sadness (Originally by Starwhisper of Windclan)
by Mapleshade Returns
Summary: Useless. Unloved. Hated. All because of a stupid prophecy and a big-mouthed Medicine Cat! Windpaw is a loner in her own clan, with a hateful mother, dead relatives and only a pawful of real friends in the world. Now she wants to change all that. But how? Maybe love will find a way... Windsong's Sadness originally by Star Whisper of Windclan and now is being co-written with me!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I'm sure all of you who have read Windsong's Sadness know that the original author, Starwisper of Windclan felt unable to finish her story because of personal matters. So she has allowed me to carry it on!**

**Obviously, none of the characters (Except for a later rogue who will be mentioned later that I gave to Starwhisper for the original story) belong to me. They all belong to Starwhisper! **

**Also, the Warriors series is Erin Hunter's story, not mine! Thanks to Starwhisper of Windclan for letting me continue her story, and also I will not edit any of the chapters that she as already updated. **

Echowhisper padded to the center of StarClan cats as they chanted, "Echostar! Echostar!"

Echostar dipped his head as they finished and one stepped forward as the rest vanished, "Walk with me?" As the new leader nodded the golden tom led the way to a willow tree. He settled as they reached the roots. "Sit." He commanded. Echostar hissed to herself for being ordered around but sat. "I am Onestar. I was once leader of WindClan. My time has passed but I needed to tell you... There will be a kit of the wind that is faster than the rest but no one shall love them. They will walk a sad path but it is up to you to lead them through the darkness to the light."

Echostar nodded, "What must I do?"

"The cat will be un-loved by the clan because of a reason you shall find out. This cat, if not led properly, will bring sadness to everyone they touch. They will be the destruction of the clan if they do not feel love before it is too late. One cat will bring them the most love they will ever feel but if they do not notice how much they love the cat, WindClan will go into an age of sadness. Save this cat."

Onestar began to fade but that wasn't enough for Echostar to work with, "Wait! Please! I need to know more!"

Echostar woke at the Moonpool and looked up to see their medicine cat, Berryfeather, standing over her. She blinked at the new leader, "Time to go home, Echostar."

Echostar nodded and padded back with Berryfeather, thinking, what distruction and saddness can one cat bring?


	2. A New Friend

"Worthless!" He chanted. "You're so mouse-brained to think they actually love you! Ha! I bet they wish you were never born! Then they could have me as their kit! Not you!" The young tom circled her as she crouched in fear and sadness. "Look at me, Windkit! Look at your younger brother! I will always be better than you! Never doubt that!" Windkit's two moon old brother looked down at her. "I am three moons younger than you and you still tremble in fear!"

Suddenly their mother, Appledawn, called from the nursery, "Windkit! Emberkit! Come over here so I can clean you!"

As they padded over Emberkit shook his russet-flecked gray fur and whispered, "To clean me!" Windkit nodded miserably, her mother hadn't cleaned her fur since her brother was born. They reached their mother and Windkit began cleaning her short silver-tabby fur. Emberkit purred loudly as Appledawn cleaned him. Their father, Blazefur, padded over, gave a curt nod to Windkit, and turned to Emberkit, licking his head affectionately. Windkit sighed sadly and padded over to the shadows so that only her blue eyes were visible in the dark.

A Windclan hunting patrol padded back into camp with rabbits and the apprentices practiced in the clearing. Windkit had once been the most loved cat in camp but three moons after she was born her brother was born. Every cat in camp immediately loved the young tom and thought of Windkit as a mess-up. The kit that wasn't supposed to be born, or so they thought. The only cats that she had noticed that didn't feel comfortable about the comments were her grandparents, Willownose and Quietclaw. Another was her mother's sister, Airheart.

Windkit sighed as she once again thought of the time where she was loved by her parents. It hurt to think of it but it also made her stronger. As she settled into the sand of the Windclan camp the apprentices padded over. It was time for them to torment her again. Mousepaw stepped forward, "Look everyone! It's the mess-up! Aw... Does the little kit want to cry to her mother? Oh, wait! Her mother is ashamed of her!" Every apprentice laughed but for the first time Windkit noticed that Snowpaw looked uncomfortable. The Siamese tom looked at her sympathetically as the apprentices continued.

Grasspaw, a gold she-cat with green eyes, stepped forward, "Her little blue eyes scream Worthless! She most likely would walk into a battle and no one would waste their time on her!"

Mousepaw mrrowed with laughter and looked to Snowpaw, "What do you think, Snowpaw?" The apprentice looked at his paws. Mousepaw glared at him and slashed his nose, "You should think of something for next time. I'll give you an example... Windkit is so worthless that Windstar herself would be ashamed to hear this sickly kit was named after her!" As he finished Windkit screeched with anger and launched herself at the brown tom.

He whimpered like a mouse and their leader, Echostar, called, "Windkit! Stop that at once or you won't be made a warrior!"

Windkit hissed but rolled off Mousepaw and gave the leader an apologetic nod before heading over to Quietclaw. He licked her ear and rushed her inside before the other cats could snap at her. Willownose looked up from the Medicine Cat, Berryfeather, and gave a purr as she saw Windkit.

Berryfeather snarled at the kit and left. She never did like her and if she ever got sick she would scratch her nose and say, 'You dumb kit! I don't want to have to waste my herbs on you!' Though, she would always treat her anyways.

Willownose patted a spot next to her and meowed, "Come here dear."

Windkit padded over to the old she-cat and touched noses with her as sleep began to take over...

Windkit woke to see Snowpaw cleaning the nests in the elder's den. He looked up as she sat up and padded over to her. "How are you?" He whispered. He nosed her tail where Emberkit had bit her the day before.

Windkit sighed, "I'm okay... I don't want to go to see Berryfeather because she would just scratch my nose and call me a dumb kit..."

Snowpaw nodded and turned to leave but Windkit stopped him, "How is your nose?"

He turned and meowed, "It stings but I'm fine."

"You didn't have to stay quiet... I'm used to being made fun of."

Snowpaw watched her for a moment with an emotion that Windkit had never seen before, "I took the scratch to the nose because if I didn't you would be the one with the scratch."

Windkit nodded, still curious about the emotion she saw but she shrugged it off and licked his nose before padding over to the nursery.

Moonwing, silver queen heavy with Gorsegaze's kits, hissed as she saw Windkit pad into the nursery and looked to Appledawn for permission before sneering, "Get back outside, mess-up! You don't deserve to sleep in the warm, comfortable nursery. You can go and sleep with the fresh-kill."

Windkit looked past the rude queen at her mother and whimpered, "But I'm hungry!"

Appledawn wrapped her tail around Emberkit and meowed coldly, "You are old enough to eat fresh-kill. Besides, Emberkit needs the milk I have."

Windkit nodded sadly and padded over to the place she'd been sleeping since Emberkit was born, an overhanging rock with a moss covered floor. The wind was the only thing that comforted her as Windkit settled down.

She sighed, remembering the day Emberkit was born...

The sun shone brightly down on Windclan camp as a three moon old Windkit padded out of the nursery. Everyone had begun to wonder why Appledawn was still plump the days that followed Windkit's birth. It turned out that Appledawn was still expecting more kits! Berryfeather was worried for the young queen's safety and after Emberkit was born the Medicine Cat told the clan that most likely Windkit was an early kit and that it was very wrong for a kit to be born before the rest of its litter. After that everyone began to hate her.

Windkit sniffled and buried her head in her paws. She heard a grunt from a cat next to her and looked up to see Snowpaw standing over her. She tried to look happier but it turned into a sad smile. He settled down next to her and pressed his warm fur into her flank. She only just noticed that she was almost the same size as him. He was only a moon older than her so it wasn't that surprising.

She snuggled up next to him and before she was taken over with sleep she remembered, she was going to be an apprentice tomorrow!


	3. A step towards perfection

Windkit woke the next day to see Snowpaw missing and the patrols for the day rushing out of camp. Echostar sat on top of High Rock, looking down on the clan. Before anymore patrols could leave she called, "Let all cats old enough to hunt gather around the High Rock." The cats that hadn't left yet moved to sit in front of the leader. Windkit knew what was to come so she quickly cleaned her fur and stood at the back of the crowd.

Echostar looked at the cats gathered then spoke, "Today, one of our kits has reached the age of six moons and is now ready to become an apprentice. Windkit, please step forward."

Cats parted to let the silver and blue tabby to the front. Windkit felt many jab her with their paws and as she was about to be in the front someone nipped her leg. She growled and whipped around to stare into the amber eyes of Tawnytail. He sneered and she glared at him before turning back to her leader.

Echostar seemed amused but it disappeared when she met the blue-gray gaze of Windkit, "Windkit from this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Windpaw. Your mentor will be Fastfoot."

There were murmurs of "Windpaw. Windpaw." That stung, thought Windpaw, I'll show them that I can be a great warrior!

She looked around for her new mentor but stopped when Echostar sneered, "He's on patrol. You'll have to catch up!"

Windpaw merely nodded and dashed out of camp, following the scent of the patrol. She ran into their bit of the forest on the border with Thunderclan and practically ran straight over the patrol. Fastfoot hissed and meowed sternly, "Windkit! What are you doing out of camp?"

Windkit gasped out, "My apprentice ceremony was today. You're my... Mentor. I was told to catch up with you and the patrol."

Fastfoot nodded and turned to the rest of the patrol- which consisted of Gorsegaze, Morningsun, Redfeather, and Snowpaw- and gave them an explanation for why the new apprentice had come dashing over to them. Snowpaw's eyes lit up when he heard of Windpaw's apprentice ceremony and as she padded to his side he murmured, "Sorry I missed your apprentice ceremony!"

Windpaw whispered back, "It's okay. There's always my warrior ceremony!" Snowpaw purred and they continued on through the territory. Eventually they reached an area that smelled of twolegs and a strange scent that definitely wasn't cat. Windpaw padded over to Morningsun and asked, "What's that strange scent?"

The silver and gold tabby she-cat narrowed her bright amber eyes and meowed, "Those rabbit-brained horses are what you're smelling. They rampage through this area every day." Windpaw nodded and turned back to the patrol. They passed an area full of what Quietclaw had once told her were 'sheep'. They made a Baaaah sound and turned away from the cats.

Redfeather hissed back at the sheep and turned to Fastfoot, "Those dumb sheep just eat, sleep, and make dirt all day. I bet they'd be easy to catch..."

Fastfoot cuffed the young warrior and hissed, "We have a agreement with the farm cats, remember? So long as we do not hunt the sheep they shall not hunt the rabbits. Besides, those sheep would trample you before you could say 'rabbit'."

Redfeather scowled and dropped to the back of the line. Then, they headed home...

Windpaw padded into camp with sore paws as everyone went to greet the patrol. She blinked the sadness from her eyes as her clan mates brushed past her. She looked to Fastfoot for permission before grabbing a rabbit from the fresh-kill pile and sitting outside the apprentice den. Mousepaw, Grasspaw, and for the first time Tinypaw, the apprentice Medicine Cat, padded over to her.

Grasspaw darted forward and stole the rabbit Windpaw was about to dig into and ate it herself. Windpaw held her tongue, thinking, there are plenty of rabbits on the moor. I'll catch one later.

Mousepaw sneered as Grasspaw ate the last of the rabbit and turned to Tinypaw, "Show us what you got."

Tinypaw sneered and licked her teeth before sinking them into Windpaw's tail and yanking. Windpaw grimaced and held back a yowl as Tinypaw dug her teeth in until they hit bone and finally she couldn't take it anymore and yowled.

Echostar looked out of her den to the source of the commotion. She narrowed her eyes as she saw the apprentices crowded around Windpaw and called them all into her den. Mousepaw hissed and followed Grasspaw and Tinypaw while Windpaw took the rear.

Echostar glared at them all as they sat in her den, circling them. She stopped in front of Tinypaw and growled, "You swore to never do harm to any clan mate and yet I saw you biting and yanking a fellow apprentice's tail! You would be very, very lucky if I didn't go straight to the Moon Pool and ask Starclan to stop your training."

Tinypaw whimpered pleaded, "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I'm sorry!"

Echostar glared down at the small apprentice before nodding and sending her out after making her apologize to Windpaw. The leader then turned to Grasspaw who immediately began to apologize to her and Windpaw.

Echostar sneered, "You would be lucky if I let you become a warrior! Is that rabbit I smell on your breath?"

Windpaw spoke up, "I got a rabbit after I got back from patrol and she stole it from me and ate it."

Echostar turned back to Grasspaw, "How dare you! I saw you have a magpie earlier! You are not going to have any food until after sun-high tomorrow. Understand?"

Grasspaw nodded and apologize to Windpaw once more before dashing out. Echostar finally turned to Mousepaw. The black and cream tom cringed in fear but then he suddenly stood tall and looked Echostar in the eyes, "You can't do anything to me!"

Echostar hissed and called his mentor, Plumwillow, into the leader's den.

Plumwillow glared at her apprentice before turning to Echostar, "What has Mousepaw done?"

Echostar told the young warrior of her apprentice's wrong-doings and then told her of what he had just said to the leader. Plumwillow growled viciously and swiped at Mousepaw's nose.

Echostar asked, "What do you think would be a proper punishment?"

Plumwillow glared at her apprentice and meowed, "I believe that he should clean the elder's den on his own for two moons, clean the nursery for two moons on his own, and catch fresh-kill for the apprentices for a moon."

Echostar nodded as Mousepaw began to tremble in fear and murmured to the mentor loudly, "Maybe I should make his warrior ceremony come a moon late?"

Mousepaw cried, "No! Please no!"

Echostar sneered, "I'll have mercy on you this once. But," she added as he got up to go, "You still need to do all the things Plumwillow listed. Understood?"

Mousepaw nodded and left with Plumwillow following. Echostar then turned to Windpaw, "I'm going to make this right. You'll see. No one will treat you badly anymore."

Echostar padded onto High Rock and looked down on the clan, "From this day, anyone who treats Windpaw with disrespect will be punished. Tawnytail!" The tom looked up from his finch, "You nipped Windpaw on her apprentice ceremony. Go catch her a rabbit."

Tawnytail's eyes widened and he dashed out of camp. Echostar turned to Berryfeather, "You scratch Windpaw's nose every time she comes to you for help. Even after you knew there was going to be someone like her to come along, you did it anyway. Treat her with more respect or you'll have no honour left when I'm finished with you."

Berryfeather nodded and looked at her paws. Echostar glared at the rest of the clan and called, "I will be Windpaw's mentor so that no one will treat her un-kindly anymore. Fastfoot, thank you for accepting her when you first had her as your apprentice. As a reward, you won't have to go on any patrols tomorrow."

Fastfoot nodded and looked to Fallenclaw, the deputy, to see if it was okay. Fallenclaw dipped his head and looked back to Echostar. The gray tabby ended the meeting and Windpaw finally let out a breath of relief.

**Next Chapter! Another chapter is coming up in literally not even 5-10 minutes after this one so I will answer reviews then!**


	4. Quiet whispers on the wind

The past three sunrises had gone well for Windpaw. She had not been teased by any her clan mates but the cats that would usually tease her avoided her. She got the feeling it was going to rain today so she went on the dawn patrol, an early hunting patrol, and an early training session. Echostar was impressed by her skill and taught her the most important skill for Windclan cats: Running.

Echostar had brought Grasspaw and her mentor and Windpaw's father, Blazefur, with them. Echostar did an example run and Windpaw watched her every movement. She studied how the gray leader's paws stretched as far as they would go then spring back under her. As Echostar slowed to a trot she asked, "Are you ready to try?"

Windpaw nodded and her heart pumped with determination. She padded up to the start and took a deep breath before dashing away. She felt her muscles stretch with every bound. She breathed out with pure bliss. It felt like she was running on the wind! She spotted her grandfather watching from a nearby boulder and she waved her tail as she ran she neared the start and suddenly Grasspaw joined the race. Windpaw bounded faster, feeling the energy start to drain and she thought she would give up...

"You can do it, Windpaw! I believe in you!" Windpaw's head shot up at Quietclaw's encouraging words and she thought of things that would fuel her energy. The first thought that came to mind was of how her own mother treated her as a three moon old kit. Anger surged through her and added to her energy, she was almost half way done. The next thought was of how everyone in her clan had turned against her. She growled and sped past Grasspaw. She was starting to get used to this! Finally, as she neared the end, she thought of the cats that wouldn't want her to give up: Willownose, Quietclaw, Echostar, herself, and Snowpaw... His blue eyes flashed in her eyes as she past the start and whipped around to face her father and leader.

Echostar looked taken aback, "You... You were so fast! How did you run faster than an older apprentice?" Blazefur scowled and was growling quietly.

Windpaw shrugged and flicked her tail before padding back to camp. She was so happy and relieved! But all that changed as the sun went down...

Deerspring and Sandclaw rushed into camp, calling for help. Echostar and Fallenclaw rushed to their aid and began to question them as Berryfeather and Tinypaw looked over their wounds. Windpaw padded closer with Quietclaw and Snowpaw following.

Deerspring whipped her head around camp, "They were everywhere! We were ambushed and they clawed us, declaring war!"

Echostar hissed, "It's those no good gang again! They killed Timberfoot last green-leaf for fun..."

Windpaw shook with fear and looked to see Emberkit standing tall, "I'll take them on! They are just mice compared to me!" Windpaw pulled him back by the tail and he began wailing to Appleheart.

Their mother rushed over and shoved Windpaw back, "How dare you harm my kit? I should rip your ear right off-"

"How dare I? How dare I? How dare you! You left your own kit to learn and fend for herself at the age of three moons! Three moons! You should be ashamed of yourself! When Emberkit goes to the Dark Forest for what he has done to me I won't be there to comfort you. From now on... I am no one's kit. You decided that three moons ago when you abandoned me..."

Appleheart looked at her paws and nodded before padding back to the nursery. Echostar padded up and placed a tail on the bristling apprentice's shoulders but the young she-cat shook it off. As far as Windpaw knew, her own heart was made of stone. For the rest of the evening she stayed in the apprentice den, not talking to anyone, not even Snowpaw.

What her parents had done to her as a kit was unforgivable. So she would never forgive them. Even as she began to fade in StarClan she would never feel for them again. It hurt her so much that at one point they loved her and then they left her like a piece of old fresh-kill. She remembered crying herself to sleep countless times in her short life and thinking, what did I ever do to deserve this? Why would they give me a taste of love and then rip it away from me? Windpaw answered her own question without thinking; StarClan had turned their backs on her.

Windpaw was ripped out of her thoughts by the battle screech of Echostar and she dashed out to see the war patrol leaving. Quietclaw was on the patrol and he turned to her as he padded out, "Don't worry. I promise I'll come back! Bye."

Windpaw watched him leave whispering, "See you later..."

She looked around and spotted a finch on the fresh-kill pile and ate it in famished gulps. Berryfeather padded towards the entrance and Windpaw called, "Where are you going?"

Berryfeather shot over her shoulder, "I'm going to tend to the wounded so that they can keep fighting."

Windpaw nodded and turned back to her meal. Mousepaw padded over to her and sat across from her, "You okay?"

Windpaw replied, "Yes. I was just thinking... What if something happens here and we need Berry-"

A screech sounded from the nursery and Appledawn called to Windpaw, "Moonwing is kitting! Get help!"

Windpaw rushed to Tinypaw and told her the situation and the young Medicine Cat quickly got the herbs she needed and dashed over to the queen in need. There were many loud screeches and one in particular, "Gorsegaze! Please help me! It hurts..." Whimpers and more yowls came from the nursery and soon the moon was high in the sky by the time Tinypaw padded out.

Windpaw rushed past the apprentice and looked into the nursery. There, settled in her nest, was Moonwing. At her belly were two kits. One was a tawny gray she-kit with a silver tail and the other was a silver tom with black splotches on his pelt.

Just as she pulled back outside the war patrol returned. They all were bloodied but still standing. Windpaw was happy to see that Snowpaw had returned with minor wounds but that all faded when she saw what he was helping carry on his back.

"No..." Windpaw whispered and dashed to his side. He set down the mass of bloody fur and looked away, unable to stand the look in Windpaw's eyes. There, bloody and dead, was Quietclaw. His eyes were still open but clouded over. There were many deep claw marks all over his body.

Echostar stepped forward, "We tried to save him..."

Windpaw growled low in her throat and looked up at her mentor, "You didn't save him! He's dead and I won't ever get to say hello again... Won't feel the touch of his fur when he congratulates me... Won't get to say good-bye..."

Tears fell down her muzzle and she rushed out of camp. StarClan had taken a loved one from her! He promised he'd return... They were going to play moss-ball together... Now she would never be able to do that again..."

She settled under a tree with the wind's gentle song rushing around her as she was overwhelmed by darkness...

**Dun dun dun! Hello! Star whisper says hi too! Next chpter will be up as soon as she sends it to me, and thanks for reading!**

**REVIEWS!**

**Youknowme (AKA Starwhisper XD): No, Thank YOU! It is fun writing your story! That sounded weird but there you go… **

**Dark Hollyleaf: Hello. XD**

**Dark Hollyleaf: She said: "**Oh and Starwhisper, what do you plan on doing with your other story? A lot of people liked it you know, including me. Did you give it to another author, quit it, or are you going to edit it at some point? If you need ideas, I have those too. I'm a writer myself. If you don't know what to do with it, perhaps a vote would be a good idea." **So if you'd be so kind as to answer that Starwhisper…?**

**Doglovermastiff: So true! You must be a wise one… O.o**

**Remember to review and share the love! (if you want to that is…)**

**Maple and Star, out~**


	5. Good Advice is Worth Following

Windpaw woke to the sun peaking over the mountains as birds chirped in the tree above her. Suddenly, the events of the day before rushed back to her. She growled with frustration and stood, feeling the wind gather around her. It was time she went home... But first Windpaw would go to the ThunderClan border.

Windpaw rushed past the lake and stopped by the river. She lapped up the refreshing water and looked at the trees around her, Why do we need these dumb trees anyway? We are WindClan! Fast and loyal! We run on the moor! We don't hunt in trees. I bet if WindClan started climbing trees, we would be as slow as RiverClan cats in mud!

She shook her head to clear her mind of the words but quickly pricked her ears as she heard the shrieking of a cat. Windpaw looked across the border to find a young pale ginger she-cat with bright green eyes. The WindClan apprentice was shocked to find a scar across the cats left eye. She was even more surprised to see a fox kit chasing after the ThunderClan she-cat.

Windpaw yowled, "Hurry! Get across the river!"

The she-cat spotted Windpaw and dashed as fast as she could until she finally reached the border. She leaped across the wide river and scrambled for the last bit of the leap. As she joined Windpaw on the WindClan side of the border the apprentice stood protectively in front of the younger cat and growled menacingly at the fox kit. It whimpered and turned tail, running in the other direction.

Windpaw watched to make sure it left before turning to the cat, "What's your name?"

The pale ginger cat stood taller, "I'm Lightkit. I'm three moons old and I'm from-"

"ThunderClan." Windpaw finished. Lightkit nodded and pricked her ears as she heard her name being called "You better go before you get into more trouble. Pad through the river to get rid of WindClan scent and I'll do the same to make sure my clan does not start getting offensive. Go." Lightkit padded through the river and, before leaving, looked back at Windpaw. She bowed her head before rushing away.

Windpaw jumped into the freezing water before going home. With one last look back, she padded into camp...

Windpaw looked around the apprentice den and stretched her sore muscles. Echostar had taken Mousepaw, Grasspaw, Snowpaw, and Windpaw to battle training. Windpaw had stayed silent the entire time and had beaten Grasspaw and Mousepaw. She avoided snowpaw because she knew he would ask if she was okay... But she wasn't. Willownose had stopped talking to her and Blazefur would find her when she went to think and would call her a rabbit-faced freak that deserved to die.

She sighed and padded out of the den. Appleheart looked up from her rabbit and quickly got to her paws. The silver and white speckled she-cat dashed over to her daughter and followed Windpaw out of camp. After many moments of silence the older cat spoke up, "I'm sorry."

Windpaw stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to face her mother, "You're sorry? Are you serious? You left me as a kit to take care of my younger brother! I understand that he was your kit too but..." Windpaw took in a ragged breath, "I just want to know why. Why did you leave me to take care of Emberkit? I needed you and you left me. Why?"

Appleheart looked at the ground as if there was something very interesting waiting for her to notice it. She drew in a deep breath and looked into Windpaw's blue eyes, "Emberkit needed me more than you did. You were always the mess-up of the litter. I didn't want to be known as 'The queen who looked after the one cat that wasn't good enough'."

Windpaw stood frozen. Had her own mother really just said that? Appleheart seemed to be just as surprised because as Windpaw padded back to camp she called, "I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking!"

Windpaw dug her claws into the grass as she bounded away, muttering, "It should all have come from the heart. Now I see how you truly feel about me."

She pushed through the heather barrier and accidentally ran right into Snowpaw. He looked down at her and asked, "Is everything okay?" Windpaw sighed and pushed past him. He growled, "You can't avoid me forever! I was there for you when your kin wasn't! Please don't turn your back on me..."

Windpaw looked back at Snowpaw and saw all the hurt she had felt as a kit in his blue eyes. She had done what her parents had done to her as a kit but it wasn't her getting hurt this time, it was Snowpaw. She rushed up and nuzzled him, "I'm so sorry! I was so hurt that I didn't want to talk to anyone and that hurt you. Could you ever forgive me?"

Snowpaw looked at her before licking her forehead, "Of course I will forgive you! I lo-" He coughed and looked around camp before looking back at her, "You're my best friend! I would never be able to stay mad at you!"

Windpaw purred and pulled him out of camp, "Let's go get some fresh-kill for the elders."

The padded out of camp and soon after they caught three rabbits and a squirrel the sun slowly faded in the distance. Windpaw dragged the last rabbit into the den and trudged back to the apprentice den with Snowpaw on her heels. She curled up in her nest and slowly the world faded around her...

Windpaw woke to see the sun high in the sky. She had slept through half of the day! The silver tabby got to her paws and shook out her fur. As she padded into the clearing she was shocked by what she saw: Grasspaw and Snowpaw sitting side by side, their fur brushing.

She felt an unknown emotion build up inside her and she quickly dashed out of camp. What was the reason that she had left in such a hurry? Snowpaw is friends with Grasspaw! It was just a friendly gesture.

She padded toward the willow tree, the only tree in the middle of the moor. Windpaw had started coming to the tree after Quietclaw died. It was the only place she could go where no one would bother her so she would always have time to think. she sighed as she settled under the low-hanging branches of the willow. The wind rushed around the leaves and suddenly Windpaw didn't feel so alone.

She looked up as she heard someone padding closer and glanced up into the green eyes of Featherfoot. The gray she-cat looked down on the apprentice and bowed her head and settled on the opposite side of the tree. Windpaw meowed, "What brings you to the willow tree?"

Featherfoot blinked, "Nothing really. It's just... Well, why should I tell you? You're the mess-up! The little rabbit that runs from her fears. I am a warrior. Not a worthless piece of rabbit dung like you!"

Windpaw bristled, "It wasn't my fault I was born early!"

Featherfoot was about to retort when she suddenly remembered Echostar's command, "I'm sorry. I've been very moody lately. You see, Whiskertail and Plumwillow seem to be very close and I can't find the words to tell him that I like him. I'm afraid that he'll take her as his mate and I will be all alone..."

Windpaw thought this through, "Have you not noticed that Sandclaw has been padding after you like a lost twoleg puppy? He really likes you!"

Featherfoot's ears seemed to grow a light shade of pink, "Really? He likes me?"

Windpaw nodded, "I don't see how he couldn't! You are very nice and loyal! Maybe you should go talk to him?"

Featherfoot nodded and dashed away, calling, "Thank you!"

Now if only Windpaw could listen to her own advice...


End file.
